The Next Wave: Anderson's untouchable July, Ace Reese arrives at full power
By Taylor Anderson ·
Twenty Innings, Zero Earned Runs: Anderson Makes Double-A Look Like the Wrong Level
There are stretches where a pitcher is rolling, and then there are stretches where you start wondering why he is still in the level at all. Kade Anderson (AA, LHP, Rank: 1) is firmly in the second category. He went 5.1 innings this past week, allowing two hits, zero runs, one walk, and seven strikeouts, and it fit seamlessly into a four-start run over the last 30 days that reads: 20.1 innings, seven hits, zero earned runs, three walks, and 27 strikeouts, with a 0.49 WHIP. For the season at Arkansas, he carries a 1.06 ERA and 135 strikeouts across 93.1 innings with a WHIP of 0.64. Those numbers are not a hot streak sitting on top of a mediocre season; they are a continuation of what has been a methodical demolition of Double-A from the first week of the year.
The profile here is a 60-grade fastball sitting 93-95 from the left side, a plus changeup that neutralizes right-handed bats, and two distinct breaking ball shapes in the slider and curveball, all held together by 60-grade command. He is not missing bats at a video-game rate, with a 37.6 percent whiff rate that is strong but not dominant, so the efficiency comes from his ability to land every pitch in the zone on his terms and keep hitters off-balance across the full sequence. A mid-rotation projection with a floor of a reliable No. 4 is the current read, and I would push toward the better end of that band given how little Double-A hitters have done with him all year. The conversation about a Tacoma assignment has been building for weeks, and at this point Anderson has given the organization very little reason to keep him in Arkansas.
Ace Reese Opens His Full-Season Account With a Statement Week
Ace Reese (A, 3B, Rank: 3) only has seven games of full-season ball under his belt, but the sample has been loud enough to feature. He posted nine hits, two doubles, a home run, five RBI, and four walks across 24 plate appearances at Inland Empire, with a 42.7 percent swing rate and 75.4 percent contact rate that suggest the approach matches expectations for a 21-year-old making his A-ball debut. The 60-grade hit tool and 70-grade raw power have always made Reese a standout bat in the system, and the early full-season look offers the first real evidence that both tools are going to show up against professional arms outside of the complex. He has four extra-base hits in 30 plate appearances with only four strikeouts, which is about as clean an entry as a corner bat could put together.
The long-term profile is a corner infielder or designated hitter who hits for average and hits for power, with some questions about whether third base is a realistic home as he fills out. The arm is average, the athleticism is below, and the scouting projection acknowledges that first base is probably the destination. None of that matters right now. What matters is that Reese is a 21-year-old left-handed bat with plus hit and plus-plus power tools who just opened his full-season career looking like he belongs. If the contact and approach hold across a larger sample at Inland Empire, a jump to Everett before the season ends is not out of the question, and the ceiling conversation of an all-star caliber corner bat intensifies with every clean week.
Quick Hits
- Lazaro Montes (AAA, OF, Rank: 4) · drove in four runs on seven hits, including three home runs and two doubles, adding a walk and a hit-by-pitch across 25 plate appearances. The three-homer week pushed him to 10 home runs in 150 plate appearances at Tacoma, and over the last 30 days he is slashing .330/.400/.660 with eight home runs at the Triple-A level. The combined line across both levels this season sits at .251/.368/.566 with 35 home runs in 489 plate appearances, and he just turned 21 in March. The 45 hit tool and 60 percent contact rate are real concerns, but the power and patience have made the profile work at every level so far.
- Jonny Farmelo (AA, OF, Rank: 7) · had nine hits, four doubles, a triple, four walks, and four RBI across 28 plate appearances in his best week since arriving at Arkansas, though he did strike out 10 times. The strikeouts are a consistent companion with Farmelo, who runs a 70.7 percent contact rate on the season. His 30-day line at Double-A shows a .370 on-base percentage built almost entirely through walks and contact rather than power, with 19 free passes against 33 strikeouts over 108 plate appearances since the promotion. A 50 hit tool, 55 power grade, and plus speed give him multiple paths to contribute, but the bat has to translate more consistently at this level before the center-field regular projection feels secure.
- Ryan Sloan (AA, RHP, Rank: 2) · struck out nine over 5.2 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run. His last four starts at Arkansas have produced a 2.79 ERA across 19.1 innings with 23 punchouts and just two walks. The season ERA has climbed to 3.75 through 81.2 innings, with a 10-homer rate at Double-A that is the main knock on his profile. The 95-97 mph fastball gives him a physical foundation to survive the mistakes, and the 100 strikeouts on the year confirm the stuff is still missing bats; the command just needs to keep the ball away from damage counts more consistently.
- Mason Peters (A+, LHP, Rank: 22) · made his High-A debut after being promoted from Inland Empire this week, going 3.2 innings of one-hit, scoreless ball with six strikeouts and one walk. He posted a 1.43 ERA across 50.1 innings at Inland Empire before the jump, and the first look at Everett was about as smooth as a debut can go. A 55-grade fastball at 92-94, a workable slider, and solid command from the left side give him a starter's foundation; the 1.34 combined ERA across both levels this season is a real number.
- Korbyn Dickerson (A+, OF, Rank: 14) · went deep twice in 25 plate appearances at Everett, drawing three walks and taking a hit-by-pitch while striking out four times. Those are his fifth and sixth home runs at the A+ level, and over the last 30 days he is slashing .282/.371/.551 with six home runs in 89 plate appearances. The promotion from Inland Empire has not slowed the power production, and his 42.7 percent swing rate with a 74.8 percent contact rate this month suggests the approach is tightening up at the new level.
- Josh Caron (AA, C, Rank: 16) · collected seven hits including a triple and a home run, drew two walks, took a hit-by-pitch, and drove in three across 23 plate appearances at Arkansas. The home run was just his second of the year at Double-A, and his 30-day line of .239/.362/.403 reflects a contact-limited power catcher still finding his footing at the jump. The 20 combined home runs across both levels this year represent a significant step from nine last season at A+, so the power development is real even if the Double-A transition has trimmed the rate.
- Brock Rodden (MLB, 2B, Rank: 27) · was selected to the active roster by Seattle on August 14 after slashing .262/.342/.499 with 19 home runs and eight steals in 410 plate appearances at Tacoma. In 14 plate appearances with the Mariners, he has gone 3-for-9 with a walk and two extra-base hits. The surge of 19 home runs at Triple-A from a player who entered 2026 with 19 professional home runs total has earned him his shot.
- Juan Rijo (RK, OF, Rank: 11) · went 6-for-21 with two doubles, a triple, two RBI, and four walks against six strikeouts at the complex level. He is slashing .310/.434/.477 on the season in 219 plate appearances, with a walk rate that stands out for a 17-year-old. The aggressive 55.6 percent swing rate pairs with a 55.4 percent contact rate, a combination that will need to improve as he climbs, but the on-base production at this age is a strong foundation.
- Yorger Bautista (A, OF, Rank: 12) · earned his first promotion to full-season ball this week, assigned to Inland Empire after posting a .283/.345/.489 line with nine home runs and nine steals in 249 plate appearances at the complex level. The jump is a significant step in his development and the early returns at A-ball, 23 plate appearances, have been modest as he gets his footing.
- Jared Sundstrom (AA, OF, Rank: 17) · went 5-for-17 with a double, three walks, and two RBI at Arkansas. The five hits are a mild positive in a season where he is hitting .192/.276/.353 through 304 plate appearances at Double-A, a significant drop from his 2025 line at the same level. The 55-grade raw power shows up in flashes, but a 54.2 percent swing rate and 60.9 percent contact rate have kept the production inconsistent all year.